


Male Privilege

by storyranger



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Feminism, Gen, Misogyny, Privilege, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 22:46:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8508478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storyranger/pseuds/storyranger
Summary: The moment some of our favourite hockey bros realised their privilege, and what they did about it.





	

The first time Shitty encounters male privilege, he’s in grade three. Billy Blake wouldn’t stop pulling Elise Thompson’s ponytail, so she punched him. The teacher tells her Billy was just teasing and screams at her for acting unladylike, so Shitty asks if Elise was just supposed to let Billy keep hurting her and the teacher puts him on time out, too.

At recess, Elise and Shitty make sure Billy knows who is allowed to touch Elise’s hair without asking. (Shitty was the lookout.)

Elise still sends him Christmas cards.

 

***

The first time Jack encounters male privilege, he’s learning about French plural pronouns, and his teacher tells them that if there’s a single male in the group, they have to use “ils”. “Even if there’s a hundred girls in the room, and then one boy walks in?” asks little Jack. His teacher nods sadly, and Jack comes up to her desk later to tell her he thinks that’s stupid. “Me too,” she whispers to him, and when he uses the feminine “elles” in place of “ils” in his homework on purpose in protest, she marks him correct.

 

***

 

The first time Chowder encounters male privilege, his very traditional aunt is drunk at his cousin’s wedding and loudly tells Chowder’s mom how lucky she is to have a son, instead of three worthless daughters like Aunt Wei-Wei. Chowder’s mom is horrified and later that night has to explain to her sweet, innocent angel that some people felt girls _belonged_ to their husbands after they got married. “Some people say that since only sons can carry on the family name, they are more important. Girls usually take their husband’s name and that means they belong to his family now. Chowder, Mommy’s saying that some people believe this. Not that it’s true. Do you understand the difference?” Chowder, who is just learning about slavery in Mrs. Hamilton’s fourth grade class, is horrified and vows to his mom he’d never get married because owning other humans is gross. Chowder’s mom hugs her son tight and prays the world will spare him from cynicism.

 

***

 

The first time Holster encounters male privilege, he’s just broken up with his girlfriend. The same boys who slapped him on the back and called him a stud in the locker room when he was with her were now whispering that they’d never date her because she was clearly a slut. He’s incredibly uncomfortable with this new double standard he’s just discovered, but being in the closet and the only Jew at his high school is already hard enough. He says nothing, and he never fully forgives himself.

 

***

 

The first time Nursey encounters male privilege, he’s arguing with a classmate about the impact of racist versus misogynistic microaggressions. When she finally throws up her hands and asks “why is my experience not enough proof for you?!” he realises he’d yelled the same thing as a white friend three days ago and maybe he’s never seen sexism because he never faces it.

It would be a lie to say he never mansplains again, but he certainly becomes a lot more careful about staying in his lane.

 

***

The first time Ransom encounters male privilege, he’s whining to Holster that he can’t drink PSLs in public because people would think he’s a pussy. Holster responds by slapping him in the back of the head and sending him passive aggressive links to essays on the damaging effect of using feminine language to describe things perceived as inferior for a week. The next time they go for coffee Ransom says his order loud enough that the whole café stared, and Holster pays for it as a reward for learning his lesson.

 

***

 

The first time Dex encounters male privilege, it’s on the business end of a knife.

He’s walking to The Haus to drop something off for Bitty and he spots Lardo walking in front of him. He decides to try to scare her by tapping her on the shoulder from behind.

Lardo responds by whirling around, feet planted, a knife flashing in her hand. The tip hovers right above Dex’s throat. Dex freezes, holding his breath, as Lardo stares him down. She visibly relaxes when she recognizes who he is, and then she’s transformed into a ball of flame and fury.

“DEX?! What the FUCK were you thinking?”

“I just wanted to scare you a little, that’s all. I thought it might be funny? I didn’t expect you to be carrying a fucking knife!”

“I’m a woman walking alone at night. OF COURSE I’M CARRYING A KNIFE.” She says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and he realises that’s because it actually is.

From that day on Dex crossed the street away from girls if it was after dark, and he never let his friends catcall girls ever again.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Some of you may have noticed I posted a WWE fic recently, but don't worry, I'm not leaving the Check Please fandom any time soon. ♥  
> Maybe one day we'll see the Professional Wrestler Zimmerman AU no one asked for.


End file.
